Cigar-lighter



W. .IAY.

CIGAR LIGHTER.

APPLfCATlON FILED DEC. 26. 1917.

' 1,373,006. Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

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I 652 27 64; 1 7 mm UNITED STATES WEBB JAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CIGAR-LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921 Application filed December 26, 1917. Serial No. 208,861.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WEBB JAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Cigar-Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cigarflighters and particularly to a lighter which is arranged for use with motor propelled vehicles.

Since the advent of motor vehicles, various attempts have been made to provide cigar and cigarette lighting means whereby one may light a cigar or cigarette while the vehicle is in motion. The present type of lighter comprises an electrically operated torch which is adapted to be applied to the end of a cigar or cigarette and means for creating suction through the cigar or cigarette to properly light the same. In some instances where lighters of this sort are not provided the resort to matches is necessary and in an open machine when in motion, the likelihood of properly lighting cigars is very remote.

My invention refers to a novel form of lighter which may be specially adapted to open vehicles. It comprises a cigar holder which is adaptable to receive cigars of various length, an electrically heated member and a suction attachment adapted to be applied to the mouth end of the cigar and connected to a source of reduced pressure.

One of the objects of my invention is to improve cigar lighters for motor vehicles.

Another object is to provide a cigar lighter wherein the cigar may be properly lighted automatically. I

A further object is to'provide amechanical cigar lighter which is adapted to receive cigars of various sizes.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof showing a connection with the engine manifold for creating suction;

Fig. 3 is an end view showing the heating element, and

Fig. a is a section on line 1-4 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 5 represents a cigar car ried in a bracket 6 a portion of which is preferably curved to conform to the shape of the cigar. The rear end of the bracket is provided with an upstanding portion 7 with a closed top and haying a forwardly extending member 8. The bracket 6 is supported by a tubular bottom member 9 which may be suitably mounted on a support attached to a handle, if desired. Telescopically'mounted in the member 9 is a tubular curved member 10 having one end bent back and provided with a cone shaped end piece 11 adapted to be applied to the mouth endof the cigar. Mounted on the under portion of the member 10 is a screw threaded rod 12 pivoted to the member 10 at 13 and having its free end extending through a lug 14 on the under side f the member 9 and provided with a knurled screw 15 for adjusting the member 10 relatively to the member 9 to accommodate cigars of varying sizes. Hinged to the outer member 9 is a heating element 16 adapted to be moved into a plane substantially coincident with the plane of the member 9 to permit the inserting or removal of the cigar or like article 5. Mem ber 8 is provided with a catch 17 which engages with the upper end of the element 16 holding the same firmly in place against the cigar when in the position shown in Fig. 2. Carried by the member 8 are the electrical connections comprising terminals 18 and 19 and the contact points 20. On member 16 are correspondingly positioned contact points 21 at the ends of a highly resistant wire 22 (see Fig. 3) which when the current is passed therethrough will become hot, heating the,, member-16. The member 10 is hollow as is .also the corresponding portion of the member 9. Suitably connected with the hollow portion 9 of the member 9 is a tap 23 with which connection to a source of reduced pressure, such as the engine manifold may be made as, for instance, by the pipe 24, having therein a valve 25.

The operation of the device is as follows:

To insert a cigar in the bracket the end member 16 is disengaged from the catch 17 and swung downwardly permitting a cigar to be placed into position shown by full lines in Fig. 2. The member 10 is then adjusted by means of the knurled nut 15 so as to bring the cup shaped end 11 over one end of the cigar and hold the cigar in position for engagement by the member 16 when the latter is moved into closed position, that is, the position shown in Figs. and 2. When the member 16 is moved into closed position the contact points 21 thereon engage the contact points 20 and an electrical connection is made resulting in a heating of the wire 22. A mere heating of the end of the cigar will not always light the cigar, therefore the valve 25 is opened in the connection to a source of reduced pressure which I may make either to the manifold of the engine, or any other suitable place. The opening of the valve 25 causes a' suction through thecigar which will quickly ignite the end against member 16 thus lighting the cigar whereupon the valve 25 is closed, catch 17 is disengaged and the member 16 swung downwardly and the cigar then removed for smoking.

If the heating element 16 should be inoperative for any reason, a cigar or the like could be lighted by inserting same in the bracket, opening the valve 25 to the source of reduced pressure, thus creating suction through the cigar and then applying a lighted match or portable lighter to the cigar.

I am aware that modifications of such a device are possible and such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims I consider as being within the spirit of my invention. While I have used the term cigar in the claims I do not wish to be limited to such use as my invention may be used to light cigarettes as well as cigars and such use I wish to include in the term cigar.

I claim.

1. A cigarlighter comprising a readily ortable support for holding a cigar in ighting position, heating means on said support for engagement with one end of said cigar, and means applicable to' the other end of the cigar for inducing draft therethrough, said latter means being adjustable with respect to said support and said cigar.

2. In a device of the class described, including a portable cigar supporting bracket, means for removably holding a cigar therein, means for causing suction through the cigar, said latter means being slidably supported in said bracket and adapted to engage the mouth end of the cigar, and means including a heating element movable into and out of engagement with the cigar when the latter is mounted in the support.

8. A portable cigar lighter including a member adapted to receive a cigar or the like, a slide carried by said member and adapted for movement against the cigar therein, a heating element in said member against which said slide holds the cigar, and means carried by the slide for causing suction through the cigar to light the same.

Signed at Chicago, State of Illinois this 18th day of December, A. D. 1917 WEBB JAY. 

